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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Haldol?
        
(Message started by: hoosierdaddy on Nov 8^th, 2004, 9:40am)

Title: Haldol?
Post by hoosierdaddy on Nov 8^th, 2004, 9:40am

I was wondering how many if any, have taken Haldol at somepoint in there lives. I'm wondering if this may be a cause for CH.

In my early 20's when I was working full time and going to Collage I took anphetamines to stay awake on very little sleep. after doingthis for over a year and taking a truckload I quit taking them and lost my mind. The doctors said then that my body was trying to manufacture the anphetamines itself and the closest it could come to it was Dopamine. I've read somewhere that Dopamine is part of the problem with CH that's why this sticks out to me.

Anyway, I was locked up in a hospital for 1 1/2 weeks and they shot me up with Haldol, I have no idea how much or often because after getting the injections I lost time. I remember very little from that time and it has been over 15 years ago but I can't help but think mabie there's some connection.

Sorry for the spelling and any mistypes my hands are shaking very bad. This is very embarassing for me and I really hate to take pills or any medications because of this history but I am taking what is prescribed to me for this CH nightmare we all suffer from.

Has anyone else been through this? Could this be a cause?

PF days for all

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by Bob P on Nov 8^th, 2004, 10:00am

In my younger days I did pleanty of bennies and snorted lots of that white powdery stuff. Never had haldol.

I'm 54 years old now and had clusters for 34 of those years. I'd think my body would have adjusted to no speed in the last 30 years.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by sandie99 on Nov 8^th, 2004, 11:40am

Nope, nothing, never.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by floridian on Nov 8^th, 2004, 12:10pm

Never had haldol. I'd be willing to bet most of us haven't.

Stimulants are more likely to be an aggravating factor. The percent of people with clusters that consume lots of nicotine and caffeine is high - and these can depress melatonin production, etc etc. Also, there may be a sinus connection, and pseudoephedrine (similar to amphetamine) messes up the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Preventive meds do help with clusters, and there is a strong genetic component in predicting who will benefit from lithium and some meds. While abusing drugs can obviously be bad for many reasons, taking medicines as prescribed should not have a negative stigma. The questions to ask: 1) Is the drug helping prevent or abort pain and improve normal function, and 2) Are the side effects tolerable? For many people here, the answer to both questions is a big yes.

There is a degree of controversy on the triptans, and whether they actually increase the length of a cycle. Episodics may have different attitudes towards meds than chronics. Side effects vary from drug to drug and person to person. But regret about something you did many years ago should not stop you from considering the range of available treatments. Hope you get PF.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Nov 8^th, 2004, 8:40pm

My heart goes out to you, Hoosier.

While it's possible your earlier use of amphetamines might have screwed with your hypothalamus a little bit, I doubt Haldol did anything except cause you memory loss and make you a temporary zombie (was probably quite useful during withdrawal from uppers).

There was an earlier thread here on Thorazine being used as a possible treatment for CH. Thorazine ... Haldol ... same animal, same effects. Major antipsychotic drugs with horrible side effects - but in my opinion, not likely to help or cause CH's.

We're always looking for a cause, but from what I know so far, there isn't just one thing we all have in common except the "luck of the draw."

Don't give up on meds - the right cocktail will make your life much more tolerable.

Many Hugs,

Kris

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by Karla on Nov 9^th, 2004, 12:02am

Haldol is an antiphycotic. I never took any before ch started but after wards i took risperdol, geodon and amblify. They haven't effected my ch as far as I can tell.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by hoosierdaddy on Nov 9^th, 2004, 8:20am

Thanks For the info. I was just reaching for a straw anyway.

Good luck and PF wishes
Greg

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by kissmyglass on Nov 9^th, 2004, 9:55am

Tell you what...5-6 years ago I had a nasty hip infection.They gave me lots & lots of Demerol... I started hallucinataing & freaking out so they gave me Haldol. Fuck that! had seizures ect...Worst drug I've ever taken.

That was 5-6 years ago & my chronic Clusters started 4-5 years ago....hmmm...

Kev.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by nani on Nov 9^th, 2004, 11:36am

Quote:

But regret about something you did many years ago should not stop you from considering the range of available treatments.

Fear should not stop you either. The drugs used to treat CH do not have the addictive component that recreational drugs have. The addictive narcotics are ineffective for CH treatment anyway.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by sevlow on Nov 9^th, 2004, 2:43pm

If it was caffeine that caused mine they would have started years ago. I think that I am immune to caffeine. Never drank coffee or tea, but I'm a Mountain Dew freak, and could drink a 2 litre bottle go right to bed and sleep like a baby. (Of course, I would wake up a dozen times in the middle of the night to take a wizz as the MD worked its way through my system.)

Don't know anything about Haldol, other than it is supposed to be some nasty stuff to help get over even nastier stuff. [smiley=wave.gif]

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by Superpain on Nov 9^th, 2004, 3:17pm

I did the whole meth-psychotic break thing too. They made me take haldol, it gave me siezures too. I do not care for haldol to say the least... >:( >:(

But I had clusters long before then.

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by Lizzie2 on Nov 9^th, 2004, 6:07pm

At Jefferson, haldol is one of the meds they use inpatient...also thorazine. If you do well with one of their thorazine pushes, then they can give you pills to take home as a "migraine" abortive...basically all it ever did for me was make me conk out for about 12-14 hours.

I will say this about Haldol, though. Never helped me because I am allergic to it! And we're talking...had 3 anaphylactic reactions before they realized what in hell was causing it! Scary... My allergies to haldol and benedryl are the first things that any practitioner ever finds out about me!

Best of luck,
Lizzie

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by thebbz on Nov 10^th, 2004, 8:27pm

Several years ago , was being guinea pigged on the anti-depressant /psycotic type drug therapies for the PTSD and resulting sleeping disorders. Haldol was one, no adverse reactions only that they made me drowsy, which usually triggers the demon when in episode. Other than that...wheeeeeee. Sucks not being able to turn that crap off. >:(
BB

Title: Re: Haldol?
Post by hoosierdaddy on Nov 11^th, 2004, 8:29am

Thanks again for all the great info.

now that I know what is going on with my head, I'm on my quest to find to find why. I may never find out but the search makes me feel like I'm doing something.

Its comforting to know that whe're all paddeling this cannoe together.

PF Wishes